Coral+Reef+-+Jennie+Nguyen

Image Link INTRODUCTION Often called the “rainforests of the sea,” coral reefs are Earth’s most diverse marine ecosystems and largest structure of biological origin. Ranging from less than 150 feet but up to 450 feet deep, this biome is made of tiny corals that build themselves up along shallow waters. With fossil records dating back over 400 million years, corals are built on top of the skeletal remains of previous generations. There are two types of corals that create the reefs: hard corals and soft corals. The hard corals, called as scleratinian, release calcium carbonate (limestone) that creates the foundations of the reef. The soft corals, known as octocorralina, have small internal spines that give the reef support. Found in tropical and subtropical warm, shallow waters of shorelines, coral reefs are home to about one quarter of all ocean species who uses it for food, shelter, and protection. To humans, this ecosystem is valued an estimated $30 billion while providing up to $172 billion in food, shoreline protection, tourism-based jobs, and medicine. Through mutualistic relationships, the coral reefs are able to grow in various places around the world Indo-Pacific regions, Australia, American west coasts, and African west coasts.

Videos about Coral Reefs: 1. Coral Reef Biome 2. Coral Reefs  Image Link Of all the coral reefs, the largest is the Great Barrier Reef located in Queensland, Australia. It is so large that it can be seen from space, as the images below will show. The Great Barrier Reef extends over 3,000 km (1,800 mi) and is home to the largest collection of corals (at over 400 different kinds), largest collection of coral sponges, mollusks, rays, dolphins, over 1,500 species of fish, over 200 birds, over 20 reptiles, and 120-year-old giant clams.

 Image Links 1, 2, 3

There are three types of coral reefs.

 The first are fringing reefs found along coastlines.  The second are barrier reefs that create a barrier between the lagoon and the sea.  <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">The third are coral atolls created from the remains of underwater volcanoes. They are rings of corral that get taller as a volcano continues to sink. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">

<span style="color: #7da5d3; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 24pt;">FLORA


 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Within the gastrodermal cells (soft tissue) of corals is the algae Zooxanthellae. Through photosynthesis, the algae gives corals their colorful appearance and provides up to 98% of its energy. Meanwhile, they absorb carbon dioxide and nutrient-rich waste products of the coral.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Seagrasses are flowering plants that grow in water. 45 of the 60 known seagrasses are found in the coral reefs of Australia and Queensland.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Green, red, and brown algae, seaweed, and mangroves can also be found in the reefs.

<span style="color: #7da5d3; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 24pt;">FAUNA


 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">There are over 6,000 known species of corals in the coral reefs. These corals can be male, female, or both and can produce both asexually or sexually. Through asexual reproduction, the size of the colony (these corals come in colonies that eventually form reefs) is increases and through sexual reproduction, the genetic diversity of the colony is increases. [|Reproduction of Corals]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">5,000 species of mollusks
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">1,500 species of fish
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">200 species of birds, 40 of which are seabirds like the white-breasted sea eagles, live around the reefs. They usually swoop down and grab food from the reefs.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">30 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises such as the humpback whale and the humpback dolphin
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some of the largest populations of dugongs live in the reefs. Their diets usually consist of seagrass.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">14 species of sea snakes
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">6 of the 7 species of sea turtles (Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Flatback and Olive Ridley)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hundreds of species of sponges
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jellyfish, crustaceans, sea snakes, and sea stars all use the coral’s structure for protection

<span style="color: #7da5d3; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 24pt;">SEASONAL TEMPERATURES
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">The corals rely on the zooxanthellae to go through photosynthesis. Therefore, the water must be warm, shallow, and clear enough for sunlight to penetrate. Usually, consolidated reefs need to have temperatures that do not fall below 18°C (64°F), though in some reefs in Japan, the temperature can range from 11°C to 14°C (51°F to 57°F).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">Most reefs need very salty water at about 32,000 to 42,000 ppm in saline.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 12pt;">On average, the climate should be from 21°C to 29°C (70°F to 85°F).

<span style="color: #7da5d3; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 24pt;">SEASONAL PRECIPITATION

> > <span style="color: #7da5d3; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 24pt;">HUMAN IMPACTS & INTERACTION WITH CORAL REEFS
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">There is a correlation between healthy coral reefs and coastal precipitation. The algae in coral tissues produce dimethylsulphide (DMS) which oxides to produce could condensation nuclei (CCN) in the atmosphere. This gives healthy reefs precipitation during hot monsoonal seasons from November to February
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">For the Great Barrier Reef, winter months are called the ‘Dry’ season, where sunshine, fresh breezes, and low humidity can be from starting from May until October. Summer months are called the ‘Wet’ season, with tropical precipitation during November to April.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Overfishing – Reefs are teeming with fish of all types, but fishing in the reefs may create shifts in the ecosystem. Fishing can harm the ecological balance and biodiversity of the reefs.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Tourism and Souvenirs – Corals have been around for hundreds of years, growing on top of the remains of previous generations. Humans who do visit the reefs tend to want keepsakes from their adventure and carelessly breaking off pieces of the reef can take decades, if not centuries, to repair. Taking pictures to memorialize the reef’s beauty can harm the organisms. Extensive tourism can cause littering and neglect to the think about where they step or anchor their boats. Stepping on and dropping anchors on the reef is not uncommon and harmful to the ecosystem.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Road Construction, coastal clearing, chemical runoff, agriculture, sedimentation and pollution – All of these things lead to water damage that will hurt the reefs.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">Global Warming – Shifts in temperature, even 1° F, can change the ecosystem. Corals are very sensitive to temperatures because zooxanthellae will only live within the corals are certain temperatures. If the weather becomes higher than usual for a few weeks, the zooxanthellae will leave and the corals will turn white. The rich, beautiful colors of corals are from these photosynthetic algae. White corals are often called bleached corals and are unhealthy, weak, and less able to fight diseases.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Dredge Spoil and Sea Dumping** – One thing that is probably worse than the effects of global warming is dredging in the oceans. Dredging is the act of removing sediments and debris from the bottoms of a body of water. Doing so can degrade water quality, change hydrodynamics, hurt the flora and fauna, damage the marine wildlife, and remove organism homes. As for sea dumping, the Sea Dumping Act of 1981 protects the reefs and other marine ecosystems from being littered upon. However, it does not protect about the discharge of sewage and galley scraps from ships, which also harm the ecosystems.

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<span style="color: #7da5d3; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 18pt;">WORKS CITED <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Basic Facts About Coral Reefs." Coral Reef. Defenders of Wildlife, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <http://www.defenders.org/coral-reef/basic-facts>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">"Coral Reef Biome." Animal Facts and Information. BioExpedition, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. <http://bioexpedition.com/coral-reef-biome/>.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">Hance, Jeremy. "Healthy Coral Reefs Produce Clouds and Precipitation." N.p., 03 Mar. 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0303-hance_coralclouds.html>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nelson, Rob. "Coral Reefs Biome." Untamed Science Coral Reefs Biome Comments. Untamed Science, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. <http://www.untamedscience.com/biology/biomes/coral-reefs-biome/>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">"NOAA CoRIS - What Are Coral Reefs." What Are Coral Reefs. NOAA's Coral Reef Information System, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <http://www.coris.noaa.gov/about/what_are/>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Stokes, Tony, Kristin Dobbs, Philippa Mantel, and Sarah Pierce. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (2000). "Fauna and Flora of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area". 2nd Ed. Retrieved from http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/4513/gbrmpa_fauna_flora_full.pdf. 22 January 2015.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Ocean Portal Team. "Corals and Coral Reefs." Smithsonian Ocean Portal. Smithsonian Institution, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. <http://ocean.si.edu/corals-and-coral-reefs>.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Steele, Gary. "Great Barrier Reef." Great Barrier Reef. Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2015. <http://www.conservenature.org/learn_about_wildlife/great_barrier_reef/great_barrier_reef.htm>

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">"What Is a Coral?" Coral Reefs and Climate Change. Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence, n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2015. <http://www.teachoceanscience.net/teaching_resources/education_modules/coral_reefs_and_climate_change/what_is_a_coral/>.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times; font-size: 16px;">"Working Together Today for a Healthier Reef Tomorrow..." //Dredging and Spoil Disposal in the Marine Park//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-us/consultation/legislative-requirements-for-permits/dredging-and-spoil-disposal-in-the-marine-park>.